Dreaming of Ireland and Irregular Jellybeans

Tree tunnel in Dublin

“Traveling – it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller.” – Ibn Battuta

I admit that I'm a dreamer. I spend my free moments obsessing on countries and cities across the world that I must see someday. I've read 38 books set on the African continent because I want to learn more about Africa. I can't possibly see the whole world, but I will learn all I can about it.

We are now just over three weeks away from our trip to Ireland, where Mike and I will spend June and July working at an art residency at Shankill Castle in the countryside.  We're bringing all three of our daughters and it's kind of precious for us because as my kids get older and their lives move away from us, I'm not sure how many more family trips there will be.

I have just 2 more days of teaching at the school. So far my only "end of the year" teacher gift is a bag of irregular jellybeans. They're kind of lumpy, some taste good, others are a little off.

I'm also making masks for a prop comic (please let him send me customer photos!!) and another production of Midsummer's Night Dream, and my mask-making workshop begins on Tuesday for teens and adults, aside from all that I need to get us all ready to leave for a month... No problem.